The death of a 3-month-old boy in Phoenix underscores the dangers of leaving children in hot cars in the summer months.

“The worst mistake a parent can make is thinking, ‘This would never happen to me’ or ‘I would never forget my child,” said Janette Fennell, president and founder of KidsANDCars.org. “This can and does happen to anyone. It could happen to the best of parents.”

Fennell’s group is a nonprofit organization nationally recognized for its efforts to prevent injuries and death to children in or around motor vehicles. Part of their mission is to track vehicle-related incidents.

The Valley boy who died Wednesday was the 30th casualty this year in the U.S., according to data supplied by KidsANDCars.org.

Phoenix police said the infant had been left in the vehicle for more than an hour Wednesday afternoon. Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a police spokesman, said the infant’s father “lost track of time” when he stopped by B.T. Sports Pub near Scottsdale and Thunderbird roads, where he is a kitchen manager.

The infant was unconscious when paramedics arrived and rushed the boy to Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center. Thompson said the father, whose name has not been released, could face charges.

Depending on how hot it is outside, temperatures inside a car can rise by 20 to 40 degrees within 15 minutes, said Tony Mure, a Phoenix Fire Department captain. Wednesday’s high temperature was 106 degrees.

Mure said it’s likely that the 3-month-old was experiencing temperatures of 150-degrees or higher. A body temperature of 104 degrees or more can lead to seizures, organ failure and death, he added.

A child that young would seldom make a full recovery after being left in a hot car for more than 15 minutes, Fennell said, because an infant’s immune system is premature at best and does not have a way of cooling itself down.

Fennell said these accidents most often happen when a parent has changed his or her routine. KidsANDCars.org’s campaign “Look Before You Lock” is designed to help parents remember their child is in the back seat.

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